Last year after getting the license to open the clinic, I headed off to Beira with a spring in my step to buy supplies for the clinic. Beira is the best place to buy medicines since it’s a coastal city and there are a number of pharmaceutical companies that import medicines directly to the port.
When I approached them for catalogs and supply lists, they told me with tight-lipped condescending smiles they could only sell them to me if I had an AVARA.
Never having heard of this document before, I returned to Maforga empty handed. I asked around for help in obtaining it and got a LOT of conflicting information. Once the dust settled and I was able to filter though yet ANOTHER set of paperwork requirements, things got even more confusing.
I won’t bore you with the details. But I will share that I’ve been working on the process for over 9 months and I don’t feel even one step closer.
After spending lots of money getting the building inspected and registered, I was informed that my efforts were wasted. You see... I had been seeking a way to establish a pharmaceutical license/AVARA for the clinic. That way I could buy the medicines in Beira and then provide them to the community.
But I should have done my homework better.
The Mozambican laws prohibit a private clinic from also owning a private pharmacy. And even though the clinic is a charity/non-profit clinic, there is no way to have a non-profit pharmacy.
So... I was denied that route.
The only route that remains is to get the AVARA for the clinic. This is still a possibility and it might permit me to buy some medicines. I’m not sure. But to complete the process, I must wait on others.
So I wait.
And I pray.
Please pray with me.
Thanks.
Showing posts with label Clinic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clinic. Show all posts
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Friday, April 17, 2015
A Roof-to-be
A Roof-to-be
Last year I planned to put a new roof on the clinic. But before I could arrange the details, my car engine exploded. Resolving my engine problems took precedence and then I had to leave for furlough.
By the time I had returned, the rainy season had made getting a new roof on impracticable as the rain rarely let up long enough to give me hope.
Well, now the rainy season is passed. Mostly.
In anticipation of this drier season, I got the funds together, checked around for the best prices, and ordered the materials. I was informed, at that time, that it would take 10 days at the most.
It has been almost a month.
I went in to the roofing supplier with questions and was told the equipment that cuts the metal roofing tiles is broken. All their orders are backlogged.
They could not promise or even estimate how long it would take to get the roofing.
Foolishly, I pushed and prodded for a time frame. They hedged and made empty promises.
So I wait.
Please pray that the supplies will arrive soon and that I can arrange to get the roof on in the next month or so.
I’m told it’s a week long process.
Only time will tell.
Please pray.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
These days...
These past few weeks have flown by in a flash. The workers I hired are indeed working out well and as a result the clinic... and most importantly the chicken project... is well under way.
On that topic, I'm happy to say the chickens should arrive in a week and a half. I confess, I'm a bit nervous; I'm told they are a bit temperamental to raise. I guess we'll see if this is true. In time.
The clinic was making leaps and bounds... but now it's inching forward. This is due in no small part to the fact the electricity has been out for days.
It's surprising how many activities require electricity to complete!
The ceiling tiles can't be hung, because we need the drill.
The wood for the ceiling can't be cut, because the saw needs juice.
The curtains for the clinic can't be sown, since the sowing machine is electric.
The curtain rods... also need the drill... etc. etc.
You get the idea.
The worst part for me is the pump can't run, which means we have no clean water. Plus, the open well was left uncovered and a bunch of frogs died in it.
Yep. Dead frogs floating in it.
Fortunately, the same storm that knocked out the electrical transformer in the region, has been sitting over us for four days. So this means we have rain water... it's just full of leaves and the like.
That means my dishes and clothes have been washed in rain water. The toilets are flushed with rain water. And soon, once I get stinky enough, I'm going to wash this mud-crusted body as well. I just hate the thought of being so cold!
Truly, I'm starting to think I'm allergic to the cold!
Pray the electricity gets sorted soon. Thanks!
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Insecurities.
During my road trip last week, I started reading Trish’s book, In Rebel Hands.
For those who don’t know, Trish and her husband Roy (my directors) were taken hostage by the RENAMO rebels some 20 years ago during the Mozambican civil war and a few years back, she wrote a book about it.
This book recalls the fears of nightly attacks, their raid and capture, and then their 3 month trek through the Gorangoso mountains as prisoners, until their eventual release.
It’s moving and insightful and I’m honestly wondering what took me so long to read it. But more than that... It has helped me to understand both Roy and Trish a bit better and has given me a clearer view of what the RENAMO are after and why they fight.
So... last Friday with these ideas still bouncing through my head as I de-bused from my ridiculously long ride back from Maputo, Roy was there to pick me up.
As we drove up the short drive towards Maforga, we chatted about nothing in particular. Maputo. The Bus. My exhaustion, etc. But eventually, the mundane topics petered out.
Silence.
As I looked over at Roy driving, I could see he had something to say... but wasn’t sure how to begin.
Finally, he spoke.
-- “So we had a strange thing happen today that I think you need to be aware of.”
-- “Oh, yeah?” I said flatly. I was too tired to put any more effort into my response.
He waited a few moments then added, “We had a visitor today that nobody recognized. Long beard. Muscular. A maluco that no one paid much attention to at first...”
I nodded in the dark for him to continue but... he couldn’t see me. So he turned his body slightly to see if I got the full impact of what he was saying. I didn’t.
So he continued. “This maluco (or madman) was wearing bad clothes and looking through all the windows. He seemed particularly interested in the clinic.”
By this point he’d got my attention. So I prodded for more: “What do you mean?”
-- “Once he had carefully looked at everything, he said some troubling things to the guards which made them think he was RENAMO military in disguise. So we called the police to report it.”
-- “Oh, Okay.” I stated coolly but my mind was racing with Trish’s book. Then I asked, “So you think they might cause problems here?”
-- “It’s hard to say,” he said softly, than paused. “I just need you to be aware that if they come to attack us... you and the Bells (another American missionary family on the farm) are the most attractive hostages.” He paused a moment, then added, “I worry about those little kids.”
Instantly my mind raced back to the book. In it, I’d learned that Roy and Trish were not the only ones captured during that raid. There were seven adults and three kids, but only one American.
The American hostage gave the RENAMO greater negotiating power as it forced the US government to officially recognize them at a political power.
-- “I see,” I said a bit absentmindedly, my mind racing ahead to the news I heard in Maputo the night before. Another medical clinic in Tika (a few hours drive from here) was attacked and raided. No one was hurt, but everything that could be stolen was.
Linens. Medicines. Buckets.
By this time we had reached our destination, but neither of us got out of the car.
More questions. More confirmations.
In the end, he explained the details of the day once again and I thanked him as I opened my car door to go.
-- “There’s one more thing...” he added. “If you hear anyone outside your window or door trying to force their way in, please just try to sneak out the back and hide in the bushes.”
This was what they had done during the war. They escaped more than one raid that way. Trish talks of it now and again, sometimes pointing out to various bushed or trees on the farm and saying, “Oh.. see there? That is where we hid from the RENAMO during the attack which killed four rebels. When we woke the next morning, a dead man was lying just there,” she said pointing to a grassy knoll.
That night, I confess I had moments of halting fear and plenty of “What ifs”. But then I prayed and God gave me peace. I also asked you all to pray and now the fear has gone completely.
If they attack, then... well... they attack. I can’t control that. If they decide to take me hostage... not sure I’ll have much say in that either. So why worry about it now?
The next day, however, I spoke to another team member about it. He reminded me that only government clinics are being attacked. “It’s unlikely that any private clinics will be bothered”, he assured me.
So there you have it.
Malucos. Rumors of raids. Wars. Etc.
I don’t now if we’ll have any troubles... all I know is that God fights for us. I feel His presence; I breathe in His peace.
Nevertheless, please be in prayer for this country and the many skirmishes that are fought in it every week. The government won’t allow most of it to be reported. Many are in the dark about it all --including me.
Please pray.
Thanks.
For those who don’t know, Trish and her husband Roy (my directors) were taken hostage by the RENAMO rebels some 20 years ago during the Mozambican civil war and a few years back, she wrote a book about it.
This book recalls the fears of nightly attacks, their raid and capture, and then their 3 month trek through the Gorangoso mountains as prisoners, until their eventual release.
It’s moving and insightful and I’m honestly wondering what took me so long to read it. But more than that... It has helped me to understand both Roy and Trish a bit better and has given me a clearer view of what the RENAMO are after and why they fight.
So... last Friday with these ideas still bouncing through my head as I de-bused from my ridiculously long ride back from Maputo, Roy was there to pick me up.
As we drove up the short drive towards Maforga, we chatted about nothing in particular. Maputo. The Bus. My exhaustion, etc. But eventually, the mundane topics petered out.
Silence.
As I looked over at Roy driving, I could see he had something to say... but wasn’t sure how to begin.
Finally, he spoke.
-- “So we had a strange thing happen today that I think you need to be aware of.”
-- “Oh, yeah?” I said flatly. I was too tired to put any more effort into my response.
He waited a few moments then added, “We had a visitor today that nobody recognized. Long beard. Muscular. A maluco that no one paid much attention to at first...”
I nodded in the dark for him to continue but... he couldn’t see me. So he turned his body slightly to see if I got the full impact of what he was saying. I didn’t.
So he continued. “This maluco (or madman) was wearing bad clothes and looking through all the windows. He seemed particularly interested in the clinic.”
By this point he’d got my attention. So I prodded for more: “What do you mean?”
-- “Once he had carefully looked at everything, he said some troubling things to the guards which made them think he was RENAMO military in disguise. So we called the police to report it.”
-- “Oh, Okay.” I stated coolly but my mind was racing with Trish’s book. Then I asked, “So you think they might cause problems here?”
-- “It’s hard to say,” he said softly, than paused. “I just need you to be aware that if they come to attack us... you and the Bells (another American missionary family on the farm) are the most attractive hostages.” He paused a moment, then added, “I worry about those little kids.”
Instantly my mind raced back to the book. In it, I’d learned that Roy and Trish were not the only ones captured during that raid. There were seven adults and three kids, but only one American.
The American hostage gave the RENAMO greater negotiating power as it forced the US government to officially recognize them at a political power.
-- “I see,” I said a bit absentmindedly, my mind racing ahead to the news I heard in Maputo the night before. Another medical clinic in Tika (a few hours drive from here) was attacked and raided. No one was hurt, but everything that could be stolen was.
Linens. Medicines. Buckets.
By this time we had reached our destination, but neither of us got out of the car.
More questions. More confirmations.
In the end, he explained the details of the day once again and I thanked him as I opened my car door to go.
-- “There’s one more thing...” he added. “If you hear anyone outside your window or door trying to force their way in, please just try to sneak out the back and hide in the bushes.”
This was what they had done during the war. They escaped more than one raid that way. Trish talks of it now and again, sometimes pointing out to various bushed or trees on the farm and saying, “Oh.. see there? That is where we hid from the RENAMO during the attack which killed four rebels. When we woke the next morning, a dead man was lying just there,” she said pointing to a grassy knoll.
That night, I confess I had moments of halting fear and plenty of “What ifs”. But then I prayed and God gave me peace. I also asked you all to pray and now the fear has gone completely.
If they attack, then... well... they attack. I can’t control that. If they decide to take me hostage... not sure I’ll have much say in that either. So why worry about it now?
The next day, however, I spoke to another team member about it. He reminded me that only government clinics are being attacked. “It’s unlikely that any private clinics will be bothered”, he assured me.
So there you have it.
Malucos. Rumors of raids. Wars. Etc.
I don’t now if we’ll have any troubles... all I know is that God fights for us. I feel His presence; I breathe in His peace.
Nevertheless, please be in prayer for this country and the many skirmishes that are fought in it every week. The government won’t allow most of it to be reported. Many are in the dark about it all --including me.
Please pray.
Thanks.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Blessings Upon Blessings!
This new month brings new joys... and MANY new blessings. There are so many in fact that I just need to brag on my God a bit. I hope you'll indulge me for a few.
Oh, He blesses me so!
Blessing Number One:
Yesterday, I got the call. The ministry of health is ready to talk.
Even as I write that... I get chills of anticipation. I cannot wait. Of course, the meeting can go in any direction (good, bad, ugly!), but I see God's hand so mightily it's hard not to get excited.
It feels like Christmas. It really does!
In less than an hour, I'll be meeting with them. God alone knows how things will go but I trust Him. May His will be done.
Blessing Number Two:
Immediately after hearing the meeting was granted, I learned of another great surprise. This particular surprise has been in the making for months, but until yesterday I had no idea of it.
As God would have it several months ago, a group of Australians decided to send Maforga a shipping container of goodies. Our directors expected clothes and household furniture.... and they are getting that.
But what they did not expect was a hospital in a box!
On this container, God has packaged me over 220 boxes of medical equipment, hospital beds, and misc. hospital goodies! It arrives in less than two weeks.
Can you believe His tremendous love? Can you?
Did I say that it feels like Christmas?
(Happy sigh.)
He is so good. So very good to me.
Blessing Number Three:
Anyway... a few hours later I learned that a group of extraordinary kids (and adults, of course!) raised a LOT of money for a chicken project to help fund the clinic.
I have not spoken much of this project in my previous newsletters, but I've been planning and praying about it for months.
Before I left the States, I mentioned it to the children's ministry director at Calvary Chapel Lone Mountain and he instantly got excited. Within no time, we planned to raise money for it during this summer's VBS.
That was last week.
I'm told that roughly 300 excited children had a blast covering each other in eggs and feathers as they raised money for this project.
What God did in this short week, humbles me and flattens me in praise. I'm overcome! He is so, so very good.
Praise Him!
Anyway... I thought you'd want to know.
Oh.. and please pray for the meeting today. May His will be done. Amen.
Oh, He blesses me so!
Blessing Number One:
Yesterday, I got the call. The ministry of health is ready to talk.
Even as I write that... I get chills of anticipation. I cannot wait. Of course, the meeting can go in any direction (good, bad, ugly!), but I see God's hand so mightily it's hard not to get excited.
It feels like Christmas. It really does!
In less than an hour, I'll be meeting with them. God alone knows how things will go but I trust Him. May His will be done.
Blessing Number Two:
Immediately after hearing the meeting was granted, I learned of another great surprise. This particular surprise has been in the making for months, but until yesterday I had no idea of it.
As God would have it several months ago, a group of Australians decided to send Maforga a shipping container of goodies. Our directors expected clothes and household furniture.... and they are getting that.
But what they did not expect was a hospital in a box!
On this container, God has packaged me over 220 boxes of medical equipment, hospital beds, and misc. hospital goodies! It arrives in less than two weeks.
Can you believe His tremendous love? Can you?
Did I say that it feels like Christmas?
(Happy sigh.)
He is so good. So very good to me.
Blessing Number Three:
Anyway... a few hours later I learned that a group of extraordinary kids (and adults, of course!) raised a LOT of money for a chicken project to help fund the clinic.
I have not spoken much of this project in my previous newsletters, but I've been planning and praying about it for months.
Before I left the States, I mentioned it to the children's ministry director at Calvary Chapel Lone Mountain and he instantly got excited. Within no time, we planned to raise money for it during this summer's VBS.
That was last week.
I'm told that roughly 300 excited children had a blast covering each other in eggs and feathers as they raised money for this project.
What God did in this short week, humbles me and flattens me in praise. I'm overcome! He is so, so very good.
Praise Him!
Anyway... I thought you'd want to know.
Oh.. and please pray for the meeting today. May His will be done. Amen.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
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